St. John’s Walks Off Penn State, 4-3; Falls to Loyola-Chicago, 2-1

Friday, February 14

Tampa, Fla. (USF Softball Stadium)

9 a.m.

St. John's University

2-3-1

Penn State

1-5

Penn State

St. John's

St. John’s Walks Off Penn State, 4-3; Falls to Loyola-Chicago, 2-1

2/14/2025 3:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (Penn State)Box Score (Loyola-Chicago)

The Red Storm rallied to take down the Nittany Lions before dropping its contest to the Ramblers

By: Josh McLaren

TAMPA, Fla. – The St. John's softball team (2-4-1) split a pair of contests with Penn State and Loyola-Chicago to open The Fonseca Memorial Tournament at USF on Friday afternoon.

The Johnnies started the day by walking off Penn State (1-5) in the bottom of the seventh to secure a 4-3 victory. In the latter contest, Loyola-Chicago (2-4) rallied to take down the Red Storm, 2-1.

Anese Thompson delivered the crucial hit for St. John's in the first game with a walk-off RBI single down the left-field line. Thompson leads the squad with four RBIs so far this season.

First baseman Melanie Santos drilled the third St. John's home run of the season against the Nittany Lions. The graduate student knotted the game in the fifth inning by blasting a two-run home run. Santos now has three extra-base hits (two doubles and one home run) through the first seven games this year.

Junior Jess Bianco picked up four total hits between the two games. The centerfielder went 3-for-4 in the opening contest, scoring two runs, including the game-winning run.

Pitcher Ana Serafinko picked up both decisions on the day. The junior tossed a clean inning of relief against the Nittany Lions to earn her first win of the season. In the next game, Serafinko drew the start against Loyola-Chicago and tallied her fifth career game with double-digit strikeouts, punching out 10 batters in 6.1 innings of work.

Game one starter Loreley Francia was solid inside the circle, throwing six innings and striking out five batters while giving up just three runs (two earned). The Spring, Texas product paces the Red Storm pitching staff with 25 innings pitched, 27 strikeouts and a 1.96 ERA in 2025.

Game 1

In the opening frame, Penn State's Natalie Lieto drew a lead-off walk and stole second before capitalizing on a St. John's miscue to plate the first run of the ballgame and give the Nittany Lions an early 1-0 lead.

The Red Storm responded in the home half of the first after Bianco led off with a bunt single to third and Thompson battled through an 11-pitch at-bat to draw a walk, putting two on with two outs. Cassidy Stouffer drilled a single to left field to even the game, 1-1, after the first inning of play.

Francia and Penn State's starter Mady Volpe both settled in after the first inning, tossing three consecutive scoreless frames to keep the game knotted at 1-1 through four innings.

The Nittany Lions took the lead back in the top of the fifth after Kaylie Walters started the inning with a walk before coming around to score on an error, 2-1. Brooke Klosowicz then hit a solo home run to increase the lead to 3-1.

Natalie Casto led off the bottom of the fifth with a four-pitch walk before Santos tied the game again by drilling a two-run home run to left field, 3-3. Bianco and Madison Konopka followed up by tallying a pair of singles, but Penn State managed to limit the damage and keep the game tied after five.

After a scoreless sixth, Penn State threatened in the top of the seventh when Walters and Klosowicz both walked, but in relief, Serafinko punched out the final two outs to keep the score 3-3.

Bianco and Konopka kicked off the bottom of the seventh by notching their third and second base hits of the contest, respectively. London Jarrard then bounced into a fielder's choice, putting runners on the corners with one out. Thompson stepped to the dish and delivered the game-winning hit, pulling a single down the left-field line to score Bianco and give St. John's the 4-3 victory.

Game 2

Serafinko picked up where she left off inside the circle against Loyola-Chicago, working around a lead-off single by punching out the side to keep the contest scoreless after one inning of play.

The game remained scoreless through three innings as Serafinko and Ramblers' starter Andie Broniewicz engaged in a pitcher's duel, only allowing three combined hits.

The Johnnies entered the run column in the top of the fourth when Celia Macari drove a two-out RBI single through the right side to score Stouffer who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, 1-0.

Inside the circle, Serafinko continued her dominant performance, striking out four more batters between the fourth and fifth innings to bring her total to 10 punchouts and preserve St. John's one-run advantage.

Broniewicz settled back for Loyola-Chicago after the fourth inning, tallying four consecutive scoreless frames to keep the game at 1-0 in favor of the Johnnies after six and a half innings of play.

The Ramblers rallied in the bottom of the seventh, plating two runs on a pair of singles to win the contest, 2-1.

St. John's will continue its time in Tampa, Fla., when it takes on USF tomorrow at 11:35 a.m. The second contest's opponents and start time will be determined after today's play concludes. The Red Storm's matchup with the Bulls will be streamed on ESPN+ and Live Stats are available on RedStormSports.com.